The Canon's Yeoman's Prologue
Folio 193r
3 of 5 folios
I warne yow wel / he is a passyng man
¶ Wel quod oure hoost . I pray thee tel me than
Is he a clerk / or noon ; telle what he is
¶ Nay / he is gretter than a clerk ywis
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Seyde this yeman / and in wordes fewe
Hoost of his craft som what I wol yow shewe
¶ I seye / my lord / kan swich subtilitee
But al his craft. ye may nat wite for me
And somwhat helpe I yet to his wirking
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That al this ground / on which we been ridyng
Til that we come / to Caunterbury toun
He koude al clene / turne it vp so doun
And paue it / al of siluer / and of gold
¶ And whan this yeman / hadde this tale ytold
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Vn to oure hoost. he seyde benedicitee
This thyng is wonder merueillous to me
Syn that thy lord / is of so heigħ prudence
By cause of which / men sholde hym reuerence
That of his worshipe / rekketh he so lite
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His ouerslope / nys nat worth a myte
As in effect to hym / so moot I go
It is al baudy / and to tore also
Why is thy lord so sluttissħ I the preye
And is of power bettre clooth to beye
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If that his dede / accorde with thy speche
Telle me that. and that I thee biseche
¶ Why quod this yeman ; / wherto axe ye me ;
God help me so / for he shal neuere thee
But I wol nat anowe that I seye
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And therfore / keepe it secree I yow preye
He is to wys / in feith / as I bileeue
That þt is ouerdoon / it wol nat preeue
Arigħt ; / as clerkes seyn / it is a vice
Wherfore in that I holde hym lewed & nyce
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For whan a man / hath ouer greet a wit
Ful oft hym happeth / to mysusen it
So dooth my lord / and that me greueth soore
God it amende / I kan sey yow namoore
¶ Ther of no fors / good yeman / quod oure hoost
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Syn of the konnyng of thy lord thow woost
Telle how he dooth / I pray thee hertely
Syn that he is / so crafty and so sly
Where dwelle ye / if it to telle be ;
¶ In the Suburbes / of a toun quod he
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Lurkynge in hernes / and in lanes blynde
Where as thise robbors / and thise theues by kynde
Holden / hir pryuee fereful residence
As they / that dar nat shewen hir persence